Latch.



. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

E. PRAEGBR. LATCH I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1905.

Inventor Witness Atto rn eys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28,1905. Serial No. 252,569.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EWALD PRAEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latches, and while it is capable of general use it has also been particularly designed as a blind-fastener for looking a pair of blinds at their meeting edges at any point between the top and bottom thereof supplemental to the ordinary blindcatch.

It is also proposed to so construct and arrange the latch as to require a complicated manipulation thereof to release the latch and to compel the use of both hands, so as to guard against the fraudulent releasing of the latch from the exterior of the blinds' With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and articularly pointed out 1n the appended c aims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the latch of the present invention mounted u on a pair of blinds. Fig. 2 is an elevation ooking at the edge of one of the blinds with the lockinglink in section and the successive positions of the link indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the lockinglink removed. Fig. 4 is a plan section taken through the free edge of the door and the adjacent door-frame with the latch of the present invention applied to lock the door to the frame.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The device of the present invention includes a pair of complementary members, each of which has an attaching-plate 1, with an upstanding flange 2 rojecting from one longitudinal edge of t e plate at substantially right angles thereto, it being preferred to form the flange by bending the same from the plate-1. The flange portion2 is provided with a bayonet-slot 3, preferably of inverted-L shape, with the transverse or horizontal branch of the slot intersecting the front edge of the flange and the lower end of the upright branch of the slot terminating in an enlargement 4. Upon that side of the flange which is adjacent the attachinglate 1 there is a substantially L shaped atch member 5, which is pivotally hung by its upper end upon the flange 2, as indicated at 6, in an exceedingly loose manner, While its lower transverse member is adapted to lie across the up right branch of the slot, the outer extremity of the lower portion of the latch being turned out, as at 7, to form a convenient finger.

piece. The complementary members thus described are desi ned to have their attaching-plates 1 applie to the inner sides of the respective members of a pair of window-blinds, which have been shown at 8 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, said parts being attached to the upright meeting rails or edges of the blinds and secured thereto by means of suitable fastenings, such as screws 9, with the flanges 2 spaced at a suitable distancesay, for instance, a half-inch.

For cooperation with the stationary members of the latch there is a locking-link 10, preferably circular in form and provided with a pair of adjacent notches 11 in its external periphery, the thickness of the link being greater than the width of the slots 3.

To look the present latch, the pivotal latch members 5 are swung upwardly, as in Fig. 2, and then the notched portions of the locking-link are passed through the horizontal branches of the slots, as indicated by the vertical dotted-line position of the link in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the link being gradually turned into a horizontal position, so as to be passed downward through the upright branches of the slot until the link is received in the enlarged bottom portions of the slots, whereupon the latches 5 are swung downwardly, so as to close the upright branches of the slots, and thereby prevent accidental and unauthorized removal of the lockinglink. While it is not absolutely essential, it is preferred to turn the locking-link so as to bring its notched portions out of the eniarged closed lower ends 4 of the slots, and, if desired, the link may be swung upwardly, so as to embrace the top edges of the fixed members of the latch, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in order to prevent looseness, and consequent rattling, of the link. The upper corners of the parts 2 are rounded or IIO beveled, and the parts are so proportioned that the link or ring has a frictional engage ment with the tops of the members 2 suflie cient to hold the same against rattling.

The present latch is designed to be supplemental to the ordinary blind-catches mounted upon the window-sill, and it is preferred to locate the present latch about midway between the top and bottom of the blinds.

The particularadvantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the swinging members 5 and the locking-link 10 can not be so manipulated as to release the latch by a blade or the like assed through the slatted portion of the blinds, as it requires the use of both hands to individually manipulate the pivotal members 5 and the lockinglink 10.

In order that the device may be employe as a latch for doors, it is proposed to provide the part 1 of one of the stationary members with a flange 12, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, said flange being opposite the part 2 and designed for connection with a doorframe 13 by means of suitable fastenings 15, whereby this member of the latch forms a stop for the door 16, which carries the other complementary member, the other portions of the latch being precisely the same as that hereinbefore described, the only difference residing in the addition of the flange 12.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device of the present invention is exceedingly simple from the standpoint of manufacture, while the operation of releasing the latch is rather complicated, so as to effectually foil any attempt at releasing the latch from the exterior of the blinds, a door, or wherever the latch may be employed. When the latch is released and the door or blind is opened, the locking-link 10 may be hung in either of the slots 3, the adj acent latch 5 serving to hold the link therein and prevent accidental displacement thereof, whereby the locking-link is always connected to the latch in readiness for use.

Having fully described the invention,what is claimed is 1. A latch comprising a pair of members having complementary bayonet-slots, and a locking member having a thickness exceeding the width of each slot and provided with a pair of notches to enable the engagement and. disengagement of the locking member with respect to the slots, said slots having corresponding enlarged portions to receive ]the unnotched portion of the locking mem- 2. A latch comprising a pair of independent members provided with complementary slots intersecting corresponding edges there- 3. A latch comprising a pair of separate members having complementary inverted substantially L-shaped slots intersecting the front upright edges of the members and terminating at their lower ends in corresponding enlargements, and a locking-link having a thickness exceeding the width of each slot and provided with a notched portion to be entered into the slots, the unnotched portion of the link capable of being turned through the enlarged portions of the slots.

4. A latch comprising a pair of independent members having complementary bayonet-slots intersecting corresponding edges of the members and provided with corresponding enlargements, a separate lockinglink having a thickness exceeding the width of each slot and notched to pass through the slots, the unnotched portion of the link capable of being turned through the enlarged portions of the slots, and movable means carried by one of the pair of members for adjustment across its slot to close the same and prevent accidental releasing of the locking-- link.

5. A latch comprising a pair of separate plate members having attaching-flanges at corresponding edges and their other corresponding edges intersected by inverted substantially L-shaped slots which terminate at their lower ends in'enlargements, a separate locking-link having a thickness exceeding the width of each slot and notched to pass through the slots into the enlarged portions thereof, said link capable of being turned through the enlarged portions of the slots to bring its unnotched portion into the slots, and pivotal latches hung upon the members and capable of being turned across the locking-link to hold the same in the enlarged portions of the slots.'

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EWALD PRAEGER.

Witnesses:

R. B. MINOR, J OHN A. WARBURTON. 

